The top-ranked Hobart hockey team will drop the puck on the 2026 portion of its schedule on Jan. 3, when it heads to Vermont to take on Middlebury. The opening faceoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Chip Kenyon Arena.
 
The Statesmen, who are No. 1 in the nation in the USCHO.com Poll, enter the new year with an 11-0-0 record. Hobart closed out 2025 with an 8-1 victory over Manhattanville on Dec. 13.
 
The Panthers, who are receiving votes in the USCHO.com Poll, are 4-2-2 and have been idle since Dec. 6. Middlebury tied then No. 6 Hamilton 0-0 to finish the first half of its season.
 
MEDIA COVERAGE

• Video
• Live Stats

 
ABOUT HOBART

• The Statesmen enter the break leading the SUNYAC with 57 goals and 150 points.
• Hobart has spread the wealth this season, with 27 of Hobart's 29 players recording at least one point.   
• The Statesmen are led by sophomore forward Arvega Hovsepyan's 10 assists and 16 points.
• Senior forward Kahlil Fontana is right behind him with 14 points, including a team-leading nine goals.
• Four other Statesmen have 10-plus points this season.
• Senior Damon Beaver has the edge in minutes played in goal for Hobart. He is 8-0-0 with a 1.02 GAA, a .942 save percentage and two shutouts.

 
NATIONAL NUMBERS

• The Statesmen rank in the top three in the nation in several categories. Hobart is first in the nation in winning percentage (1.000), second in power-play percentage (.349), scoring offense (5.18) and scoring margin (+3.73) and third in scoring defense (1.45).
• Beaver is first in the nation in GAA, fourth in shutouts and 10th in save percentage.
• Fontana is 10th in the nation in goals per game (0.82) and fourth in game-winning goals (2) and power-play goals (4).
• Hovsepyan is 16th in the nation in points per game (1.45) and 22nd in assists per game (0.91).

 
 
ABOUT MIDDLEBURY

• The Panthers are averaging 2.25 goals per game while allowing just 1.88.
• Forward Jack Silverman leads Middlebury with three goals and seven points.
• Jake Stevens has a team-high five assists and is one of three players with five points.
• Andrew Heinze has played the majority of the minutes in goal. He is 4-1-2 with a 1.74 GAA and a .939 save percentage. Heinze is 13th in the nation in GAA and 14th in save percentage.

 
 
SERIES HISTORY

• The game will be the ninth meeting between Hobart and Middlebury.
• The Statesmen hold a 4-3-1 edge in the series, but the Panthers have a 3-2-1 lead on their home ice.
• Hobart has won four-straight meetings against Middlebury, including an 8-1 victory on Dec. 31, 2023. Tanner Daniels scored twice, and Fontana had four assists to lead the Statesmen. Beaver made 29 saves to earn the victory.

 
COMMON GROUND

• Hobart and Middlebury have one opponent in common so far this season, Plattsburgh. The Statesmen beat the Cardinals 3-0 at The Cooler on Nov. 15. Two weeks later, the Panthers topped Plattsburgh 5-2 in the first game of the Layer Eight Shootout at Norwich.